Tension-equalizing and shock-absorbing device



F. E. TURNER.

TENSION EQUALIZING AND SHOCK ABSORBI'NG DEVICE.

APPLICAHON FILED on. 11. 1920.

1 0,125. Patented May 31,1921.

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APPLICATION FILED OCT: H- 1920.

1,380,125., Patented May31,1921;

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FREDERICK E. TURNER, OF KANSAS CITY, IEISSO'U E1, ASSEGNGR T0 KANSASCITY ELEVATOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, 035 KANSAE? CFITY, MISSOURI, A.C03- PORATION 0E MISSQURI.

TENSION-EQUALIZING All?!) SEOCK-ABSORBING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1%21.

Application filed October 11, 1920. Serial No. 416,217.

To all to 710m it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK E. TURNER, a citizen oi? the UnitedStates, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State oiMissouri, have invented certain new and useful improvements inTension-Equalizing and Shoclr-Absorbing Devices; and I do declare thefollowing; to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

This invention relates to elevators, the primary object being to providea tension equalizer and shock absorbing' device, particularly applicablefor use in connection with elevator, including a multiple suspension sothat the shocksand lifting strains will be approximately equallydistributed to all of the cables connected to the elevator as well as toequalize the strains throughout the hitch.

It is particularly the object of the invention to eliminate shocks andstrains to the cables caused by su dden'starts and stops of the elevatorand to prevent one or more cables from becoming slack so as to throw thestrain and load upon the remaining cables.

Also, it is important to equally distribute the shocks and strainsthroughout the elevator lifting mechanism and my invention contemplatesthe provision oi? means whcreby this may be accomplished, theconstruction being such that the friction between the car and its guiderails, caused by uneven loading, will be reduced, this being possiblebecause of the fact that the car is suspended from two or more pointsinstead oi he customary single-point suspension in the center oi": thecar crosshead.

In the drawings,

Figurel isa perspective view of an elevator car, showing theconstruction of the shock absorbing springs, the equalizing links towhich the cables are fastened, the equalizing levers connecting thelinks and the springs, and the multiple suspension.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an elevator car, parts being brokenaway to show my invention.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line S3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. i is a detail view of a lever, showing the links for connecting thespring rod and a link for engagement with the cross links whereby twoalining links are connected together.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view the Shock absorbing spring; rod-supportinglinks, and

Fig. 6 is a view partly in elevation and partlyin section of a shockabsorbing spring showing the arrangement thereof.

1 and 2 are the vertical elevator guides which guide the elevator carconsisting of the vertical channels 3 and'c. The draw head is shown ascomprising the parallel top channel beams 5 and 6 and the basket or cageportion 7, thefioor of which is secured to the vertical members 3 and 4+in any approved manner. The pa ticular construction of the cage and itsguides form no part of my present invention, the invention beingconfined to the device for connecting the elevator car to thehoistingcables, etc.

Near the respective ends of the channel beams 5 and 6 are spring seats 8and 9, which are supported upon the upper, outwardly projecting flangesof the channels in any well known manner and serve as abutinents orseats for the coil springslO and 11, which. provide resilientconnections between the elevator and certain lever and link mechanism tobe reterr .l to hereinai'ter.

By re'lerene to Fig. 1 it v. ill be observed that the lower flanges ofthe channels 5 and 6 are provided with bearings 12 and 13 in whicharemounted transverse pivot shaits ii and 15, passing through the earsor projections 16 and 17 of the bearing clamps 1S and 19 on the levers20 and 21.

The levers 20 as well as the levers 21 are preferably arranged in pairsand are adapted to rock about their respective fulcrums 14- and 15, thepairs of lovers being arranged in aline rnent shown in Fig. 1 and onopposite sides of the longitudinal center 'of'the elevator cage.

being provided with a tension nut 27 which may be screwed upon thethreaded end of the rod 24: to increase the tension of the spring.

The inner ends of the lovers 21 are provided with upstanding equalizinglinks 28, two for each lever 21 and the links 28 correspond to links 29for the levers 20, the alining links 28 and 29 being connected by across link 30 to which the cables 31 and 32 are secured. The lever 20 islikewise provided with upstanding links 33, corresponding to the links22 for lever 21 and said links are associated with the spring 10 insubstantially the same way as are the links or levers 21 with the spring11. Therefore, it will be observed that if the car is about to start, anupward pull on the cables 31 and 32 will exert an upward pull on theinner ends of the levers 20 and 21, distributing the shock or strain tothe springs 10 and 11, the arrangement of levers being such that thepull will be equalized throughout the lever mechanism and prevent shockor strain being communicated to any particular cable.

It will also be observed that when the car comes to a sudden stop, thesudden strain or shock will be communicated to the entire lever and linkmechanism and be absorbed thereby so as to prevent undue strain beingcommunicated to the cables.

If a heavy car is used, the tension of the springs 10 and 11 may beincreased by screwing down the nuts 27 and 27' for the springs 11 and 10respectively. If, however, the car is relatively light or the load isrelatively light the tension on the. springs may be relieved byunscrewing the nuts a sufficient amount. Therefore, it will be apparentthat the tension may be varied to accommodate varying conditions.

I prefer to arrange the levers in sets or pairs, as shown, although thiswill not be necessary under all conditions. Where they are so arranged,however, a more eflicient equalization and distribution of the shocks orloads may be had.

It will be observed from the foregoing that a device constructed inaccordance with my invention is adapted to be applied to ordinaryelevators so as to absorb the strains and shocks and prevent slack inthe cables, thereby enabling the elevator to successfully performservice for a longer period than would be possible where the strainswere allowed to be localized in the hoisting mechanism,

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In combination, an elevator, a yieldingly supported device connectedto the elevator, said device comprising a pivoted lever, a yieldingconnection between the elevator and one end of t e lever, and a cableconnection at the other end of the lever.

2. In an elevator tension equalizing, and shock absorbing device, setsof parallel levers, the sets being in alinement, means for yieldinglyconnecting the outer ends of the sets of levers to the elevator, andmeans connecting the inner ends of the adjacent sets of levers together.

3. In an elevator tension equalizing and shock absorbing device, sets ofparallel levers, the sets being in alinement, means for yieldinglyconnecting the outer ends of the sets of levers to the elevator, meansconnecting the inner ends of the adjacent sets of levers together, andcables connected to the last named means.

4. In an elevator tension equalizing and shock absorbing device, apivoted lever on one side of the center of the elevator, an alining,pivoted lever on the opposite side of the center of the elevator, meansyieldingly connecting the outer ends of the levers to the elevator, andcable-supported means for shackling the inner ends of said leverstogether.

5. In combination, an elevator and its drawhead, a pivoted lever on thedrawhead, a second alining, pivoted lever on the drawhead, meansyieldingly connecting the outer ends of the levers to the drawhead, andcable-supported means for shackling the inner ends of said leverstogether, said means comprising upstanding links and a cross linkconnecting them.

6. In combination with an elevator drawhead comprising two parallelbeams, transverse shafts j ournaled to the beams, alining pairs oflevers carried by the shafts, upstanding links carried by the outer endsof said levers, cross links connecting the upstanding links, threadedrods carried by the cross links, coil springs surrounding said rods,spring seats on the beams, adjusting nuts on the rods and bearing uponthe springs, and cable-attaching links connect- 110 ing the inneradjacent ends of the alining pairs of levers.

7 In combination with an elevator drawhead, alining, pivoted leverscarried by the drawhead, an adjustable spring connection 115 for theouter end of said levers and the ele vator drawhead, and meansconnecting the inner ends of said alining levers.

8. In combination with an elevator drawhead, alining, pivoted leverscarried by the 120 drawhead, an adjustable spring connection for theouter end of said levers and the elevator drawhead, and cable-securinglinks connecting the inner ends of said alining levers.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

FREDERICK E. TURNER.

